the grande mothers re:invented

 

August 2002, the Grande Mothers Re:Invented were born.

As their management says: "These are not the Grandmothers (of old), who only played music FZ wrote between 1965 thru 1969, these are The Grande Mothers Re:Invented who perform music written between 1964 and 1983..."
To make the confusion complete, on their 2003 release, the band is called the Grand Mothers.

The 2003 concert at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival, Germany, where they played with the Strings Of Invention, featured Bobby Bradford as a special guest.
Early 2004, they toured Europa and played a gig in San Francisco. Later that year, they returned to Europe for another tour, combining it with a performance at the Zappanale festival in Bad Doberan, Germany. Part of the Zappanale concert, featuring Ed Mann as a special guest, got released on the "Zappanale # 15" album.

 

discography

  the grandmothers: a grandmothers night at the gewandhaus
    (2003, cd, ger, warner classic 2564600682) - incl.various frank zappa compositions
  various artists: zappanale # 15
    (2004, 3cd, ger, arf society) – incl. various artists playing frank zappa compositions
   

 

video

  various artists: zappanale 15 - retrospective
    (2004, dvd, ger, the arf society)

 

concerts, etc...

* * * strings of fire 3 * * *

the grandmothers
  napoleon m. brock: vocals, tenor sax, flute
  don preston: vocals, piano, synthezisers
  bunk gardner: tenor sax, bassoon, soprano sax, flute
  roy estrada: vocals, bass guitar
  ken rosser: guitar
  chris garcia: drums

* * *  the frankfurt jazz festival concert * * *
The Grandmothers and The Strings Of Invention, with special guest Bobby Bradford

   napoleon murphy brock: lead vocals, alto & tenor saxophones, flute
   bunk gardner: tenor sax, bassoon, soprano sax, flute
   roy estrada: bass, pachuco falsettos, operatic madness
   don preston: piano, keyboards, electronics, vocals
   ken rosser: electric guitar, stunt guitar, loud guitar
   christopher garcia: drumset, marimba, percussion, vocals
 special guest:
   bobby bradford: trumpet
 the stings of invention
   julia barto: violin
   jansen volkers: violin
   mike rutledge: viola
   stephan braun: cello

  • 2003/10/05 concert Frankfurt Jazz Festival, Germany
    • intro (in german) * pound for a brown * oh no * more trouble * harder babies * sweet 50 * 20 small cigars * amsterdam - blues for all * carolina hardcore extacy * a motor or something different * frankie`s not around * idiot bastard son * montana * memorial bbq * stolen moments * village of the sun * outro (in german)

 

  • 2003/10/07 tv special: "Cool, Hot, Free and Crazy", HR3, German television
    • including interviews & concert fragments from the 2003/10/05 concert

The picture on the right is from the 2003/10/07 tv documentary: Bunk Gardner on tenor saxophone.

Picture is a captured frame from an RR video recording.

 

Bunk Gardner: tenor saxophone (at a rehearsal)

* * * The Grandmothers Re:Invented: "European Tour 2004" * * *

napoleon murphy brock: lead vocals, alto & tenor saxophones, flute
roy estrada: bass, pachuco falsettos, operatic madness
don preston: piano, keyboards, electronics, vocals
ken rosser: electric guitar, stunt guitar, loud guitar
christopher garcia: drumset, marimba, percussion, vocals

* * * The Grandmothers Re:Invented: "Second European Tour 2004" * * *

the 2005 italian tour

 

 

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED

 The Grande Mothers Re:Invented

Napoleon Murphy Brock: vocals, tenor saxophone, flute, suavenicity, dancing(!)
Roy Estrada: bass, pachuco falsettos, and operatic madness
Don Preston: piano, keyboard synthesizers, electronics, vocals
with
Miroslav Tadic: stunt guitar, electric guitar
Christopher Garcia: drumset, percussion, marimba, vocals

 

 

random notes

THE GRANDMOTHERS IN BONN, 2004/01/26

words & pictures by Thomas Dippel
(translated in some sort of English by yours truly)

Date: Monday, the 26th of January 2004
Time: 16.30 h
Location: the former capital city of Germany, Bonn, today, reduced to the backyard of the nation

 

After 29 gigs, without a break, after a nine-hour drive from Kiel, two tired Grandmothers stretch their legs.
”Is this really the place Beethoven was born? Doesn’t look like it.” Is about the only thing that Dr.Don had to say. He only added “Nice to see you, sorry, no time, have to rehearse.” After which he and Roy disappeared.

 

 

Napoleon was a bit more cordial. He didn’t want to pose for a picture (too early) and he didn’t want to do a real interview: “Not necessary. Come and listen to the show, that’s better than a thousand interviews. I told you two years ago, the voice is back.”

The same evening, the band greeted about 500 fans.

Napoleon opened with: “We won’t play any Zappa music tonight. We will make love to Zappa’s music tonight for you. You will also realise that we are not the Grandmothers, you will see and listen to the GRANDmothers. And this is not my saxophone, it’s my SEXophone.”

 

 

The show kicked off with an excellent ‘Florentine Pogen’ and everyone was impressed how the band, with only five persons, could perform a song that was meant to be performed by a much larger band. But after the final chord of ‘Florentine Pogen’, things went wrong. Napoleon lost a piece of his saxophone. At a certain moment, everyone on stage was looking for the little piece that had fallen off Nappi’s saxophone.

Don and Roy filled the gap with ‘Hey Joe / Hey Punk’ and guitar player Ken Rosser used the opportunity to show all his chops.

After 15 minutes, Napoleon joined them and the show could go on. It has to be said that Napoleon’s singing, dancing and saxophone playing was incredible. This guy obviously loves what he is doing.

 

Sure, the Mothers aren’t as radical as Newsweek once said, but they can still play a hell of a show. After 2.5 hours of absolute joy they had to quit (shows in Bonn have to end at 23.00h). I said it before: Bonn, reduced to the backyard of the nation.

 

 

 

the grandmothers at the avalon ballroom, san francisco, may 22 2004

 a review from ''slime.oofytv.set'
 

excellent show last night, not very well advertised so only 60 or 70 hardcore freakz showed up to the avalon ballroom for the grandmothers only north american gig
also in the audience was none other than ike willis ladies & gentlemen, that's right you heard right, ike caught the show but didn't step up on stage...
anyway, the boys showed up early & loitered amongst the crowd, chattin & signing autographs; never seen so much fz vintage vinyl in one room; one guy pulled out at least the 1st dozen or so moi lp's while don, bunk, roy & napi patiently signed every last one including inserts, booklets etc...

the music: these guys played their hearts out; after exploding into florentine pogen, they reached back & tossed out a bunch of oldies, mixing it up between vocals & instumentals...my highlight was big swifty; very tight arrangement up front, loosening up for the solos, then roy steps up to the mike & seamlessly launches into  i come from nowhere, followed by preston's evelyn dog variations & bunk belting out a beefheart rendition of sam then easing back into the swifty outro....nice to see don singing a lot more last night than last nov. at the p/o gig.
bunk & napi dominated pound for a brown then napi pulled out some sort of electronic distortion¿ gadget for the slime vocals, very cool, he used it on his horn occasionally, made it sound like a old pipe organ, in fact napoleon's m.o.i. performances are just as natural sounding as the o.s.f.a & roxy era tracks

jcb was missed by me, probably only for the c.c because last night's drummer was definately up to the task, same with the guitarist, hard to fill those shoes under any circumstances, specially with a discerning crowd of hardcores.

roy's voice is still in top form, pachuco or otherwise, he's looking rather healthy these days; when he saw art tripps photo next to his on the inside cover when he was signing my mothermainia [heh heh heh] he happenned to mention he was talkin to him last week....he's a chiropractor down in mississipi, so if anything bad ever happens to your back as a result of some sort of conflict with anyone named nanook the only way you can get it fixed up is to go trudgin' across the tundra mile after mile right down to the parish of dr. tripp

  • set 1
    • florentine pogen * 20 small cigars * lonely little girl * take yer clothes off * what's the ugliest * chunga's revenge * big swifty incl quotes from (roy) i come from nowhere / (bunk) sam w/the flattop / (don) evelyn a mod dog * andy * t'mershi duween * pound for a brown incl. don's explanation of the origins of the title * i'm the slime
  • set 2
    • hungry freaks daddy * sofa * carolina hardcore * kreega b moves to cleveland * oh no * s.o. orange county * trouble every day * echidna's arf * idiot b. son * montana * muffin man
  • encores
    • in the sky * mother people

 

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED  2006


NEW NEWS 1 - New guitarist

The Grande Mothers are proud to announce that they have a new guitarist:  MIROSLAV TADIC,

Miroslav is not only playing his own amazing solos, but he also had to learn the ZAPPA book, by  transcribing, and learning all of the ZAPPA pieces performed by the Grande Mothers

He has been undergoing hours and hours of rehearsals with the Grande Mothers Re:Invented and they will be hitting the stage in 2006 in the United States, Europe
and Canada
see Miroslavs' BIO below

In their January 1997 issue, the editors of GUITAR PLAYER magazine voted Miroslav Tadic one of the world's thirty most radical and individual guitarists.

Tadic completed his formal education in the United States after studying in Italy and his native Yugoslavia. He has performed and recorded in a wide variety of settings and musical styles, ranging from music of the Baroque and Classical periods to blues, jazz, and rock.

Tadic's performing and recording credits include projects with:
Terry Riley, the Los Angeles Opera with Placido Domingo, Howard Levy, Joachim Kühn, Dusan Bogdanovic, Vlatko Stefanovski, Theodosii Spasov, Kudsi Erguner, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, L. Shankar, Markus Stockhausen, Maria João, David Torn and Jack Bruce, among others.

He is frequently heard in Europe, Japan and the United States. In 1986 Miroslav met drummer Mark Nauseef and the master of sound sculpting and recording Walter Quintus. Their collaboration has resulted in a great number of recordings and projects, which continue today and into the future.

In recent years Tadic has concentrated on developing an approach to improvisation which combines and juxtaposes musical material drawn from many diverse sources, including Baroque, European classical and North Indian classical music, Eastern European folk traditions, blues, jazz, and rock. He is noted for his pioneering work in applying the elements of classical and flamenco techniques to the electric guitar.

Miroslav's numerous recordings on ENJA Records, CMP Records, M.A Recordings, Omagatoki and Third Ear Music labels have won international critical acclaim. He has written music for a number of award-winning experimental film, theater, and dance works. Since 1985 he has been teaching at California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles.

NEW NEWS 2 - Grande Mothers performance in Los Angeles

THE GRANDE MOTHERS WILL BE performing at the REDCAT THEATRE,
i.e., the Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theatre
located in the WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL in downtown Los Angeles, California
on 4/15/Friday and 4/16/Saturday
the concert(s) will be in 2 halfs

The first part will be Stravinsky's  L'Histoire du Soldat
with:
Roy Estrada performing the part of the narrator
Don Preston performing the part of the soldier
and
Napoleon Murphy Brock performing the part of the Devil
all in full costume featuring some of LA's finest,  
including :
Joel Hamilton - acoustic bass
Amy Knowles - percussion
Marc Lowenstein - conductor
Daniel Rosenboom - trumpet
Sarah Schoenbeck - bassoon
Harry Scorzo - Violin
David Sherr - clarinet
Steven Suminski - trombone
plus dancer Lillian Bitkoff"

as most of you know FZ did his first post-wheelchair appearance [in 1972] as a reciter,
in a performance of Stravinsky's L'Histoire du soldat at the Hollywood Bowl,
conducted by Lukas Foss.
FZ on The Real Frank Zappa Book, p. 116:

tickets have yet to go on sale
www.redcat.org for additional info

the second half of the concert will feature the Grande Mothers Re:Invented
performing the music of Frank Zappa

NEW NEWS 3 - BERGEN FILHARMONISKE ORKESTER CONCERT

In january of 2004 the Grande Mothers were invited to perform in 2006 in Norway for a week long ZAPPA music festival,  this festival, unlike other ZAPPA festivals is quite unique,
the Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester under the direction of Kirstian Jarvi will be performing compositions by the Maestro
See below for schedule

WEDNESDAY - NATIONAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE of  The Histoire du Soldat
             Music to be performed by musicians of the Grieg Academy of Music  with

Roy Estrada performing the part of the narrator
Don Preston performing the part of the soldier
and
Napoleon Murphy Brock performing the part of the Devil
all will be in full costume.

 THURSDAY - The BERGEN FILHARMONIC ORKESTER
         under the direction of Kristjan Järvi at GRIEG MUSIC HALL

with special musical guests THE GRANDE MOTHERS
on selected compositions

6:00 PM Pre concert lecture
There will be an open forum question and answer period during this lecture.

Compositions to be performed prior to the orchestral concert:
Edgard Varese - Ionisation
Zappa - Black Page Part 1 and Part 2
Zappa - Dangerous Kitchen

7:30 Orchestra Concert
Stravinsky ­ Rite of Spring
Zappa ­ Planet of the Baritone Women
Zappa - Duke of Prunes
Zappa - Revised Music for Low Budget Orchestra
Zappa - The Muffin Man
Zappa - Cosmic Debris
Zappa ­ Montana
Zappa ­ Lumpy Gravy
Zappa ­ Peaches and Regalia 

FRIDAY -
There will be a concert on Friday BEFORE the Grande Mothers concert, performed by students of the Grieg Academy, playing influential works of FZ as well as music that influence him and the Grande Mothers.

This concert will include influences and inspirations of FZ and affiliated musicians.
It is impossible too include everything but the program will include a premier of a Fanfare by Don Preston,
Zappa compositions,
Chromium Megaphone of Destiny,
Brass band arrangement of G Spot Tornado,
Perc. Arrangement of Outside Now,
Edgard Varese- Octandre,
Charles Ives ­ Unanswered Question. And more...
GRANDE MOTHERS PERFORMANCE later that evening

NEW NEWS 4 - In Canada

In an unprecedented move The Grande Mothers have once again been invited to perform at the Vancouver Folk Festival, in July of 2006
The festival never books the same artist two years in a row, but due to overwhelming response, they have been asked back
They were the only group to receive standing ovations at the end of both performances in 2005

There are other dates on the table yet to be solidified
STAY TUNED FOR MORE POSSIBLE CONCERTS IN CANADA 2006

 

2006/04/16
 
Grande Mothers Re:Invented
(Roy & Edna Disney/CalArts Theater, 220 seats, $28 top)
 
Presented by REDCAT. Opened, reviewed April 14, 2006; closed April 15.
 
Performers: the Grande Mothers (Napoleon Murphy Brock, Don Preston, Roy Estrada, Miroslav Tadic, Christopher Garcia), James Sullivan, Sara at  Schoenbeck, Amy Knoles, Daniel Rosenboom, Steven Suminski, Harry Scorzo, Joel Hamilton, Lillian Bitkoff. Marc Lowenstein (conductor).

By RICHARD S. GINELL
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930254?categoryid=34&cs=1

To an outsider, Igor Stravinsky and Frank Zappa seemed to reside on different planets, even though both lived in the Hollywood Hills in the late 1960s. But insiders know Zappa was a serious Stravinsky buff, invoking the Russian's acerbic spirit, techniques and even some of his music in his own gargantuan output. Thus, the teaming of one of Zappa's favorite Stravinsky pieces -- the ever-zesty, ever-acidic "L'Histoire du Soldat" -- with a survey of Zappa's intricate
idiosyncrasies for rock band at REDCAT on Friday night was not so much far-fetched as it was far-sighted.

As it happened, though, Zappa came off a lot better than Stravinsky.

There are rumblings of a Zappa revival afoot in the world -- what with his son, Dweezil, preparing to take an authorized "Zappa Plays Zappa" band on the road next month (they'll be at the Wiltern June 23) and this ongoing Grande Mothers project, which was launched in Europe in 2003. The latter group is a quintet containing three alumni of various Zappa bands -- bassist Roy Estrada (an original Mother), keyboardist Don Preston and vocalist/reeds Napoleon Murphy Brock -- plus Eastern European wah-wah guitar wizard Miroslav Tadic and drummer Christopher Garcia.

This outfit was road-tested (their 66th gig), as precise as any of Zappa's bands and able to burn brightly on a wide range of Zappa selections on Friday (the set list was completely different Saturday).
With Brock's powerful vocals, physical shtick and ability to double expertly on flute and tenor sax coupled with Preston's and Tadic's electronic salvos, the evening contained a lot of the contradictory eclectic, serious and circusy flavors of a Zappa show.

Indeed, in some cases, the Grande Mothers were able to go deeper into the material, rather than merely parroting Zappa's notoriously tricky composed lines. "The Idiot Bastard Son," for example, revealed some lovely harmonic ideas only hinted at on the original Mothers recording.

All on board were adept at exploring the drumfire jazz-rock riffs of the early '70s, and there was a deftly done sample of Zappa's doo-wop sendups.

All the while, the screen behind the band displayed slides of Stravinsky beaming down paternally -- as if one needed more reminding after the "Rite of Spring" riff in the middle of "Duke of Prunes."

Ironically, the discipline and canny pacing of the Zappa portion of the program were almost entirely missing in the Stravinsky perfperf.
The three Mothers took the roles of the Narrator (Estrada), the Soldier (Preston) and the Devil (Brock), making tedious, hammy work of C.F. Ramuz's playlet, and there were missed cues and outbreaks of scrappy playing in the otherwise high-spirited seven-piece instrumental ensemble. More rehearsal, tighter control of the dialogue, please.

from lira productions / 20060422

THANKS
TO ALL OF THE FANS WHO CAME OUT TO
THE LOS ANGELES PERFORMANCES
AT THE REDCAT in the DISNEY CONCERT HALL COMPLEX
IN LOS ANGELES

BOTH SHOWS WERE SOLD OUT

IT WAS LIKE OLD HOMECOMING WEEK FOR THE GUYS
with friends and fans coming from far and wide

There was a fan who had also been at the premiere performance of the GRANDE MOTHERS in  Leipzig, Germany in 2003 who came to see the LA show(!)
as well as fans who came in from Denver, and Vancouver B.C.!!! to see the Grande old men

KUDOS to all of the musicians who participated in the Stravinsky
especially violinist Harry Scorzo, who played violin on Mother People and Peaches in Regalia
and original GM guitarist Ken Rosser who came out and played on San Ber'Dino encore

AND THE FANS ROARED..........
we got several reviews like this from fans

Sunday, April 16, 2006
Great Grande Mothers

Had the best concert experience in a long while on Friday night, when I went to see the Grande Mothers at the Redcat Theater. Who are the Grande Mothers, you ask? Zappa alums Don Preston, Roy Estrada, and Napoleon Murphy Brock, plus Chris Garcia and Miroslav Tadic on drums and guitar, respectively.

The first set featured Preston, Estrada, and Brock performing Stravinsky's Histoire de Soldat with a killer chamber ensemble. The second set was a smorgasbord of Zappa tunes. The Stravinsky set was fun (in part because of the Mothers' bad acting), but the Zappa set, which I realized later went on for over an hour, seemed to fly by.

It was just beautiful to be able to hear this music (from the front row, no less) played in the spirit in which it was originally conceived, by some of the guys who were originally involved. And though it wasn't a flawless performance (it was the first of two nights), it had more balls and verve and energy (especially given that these guys are approaching geezerhood) than a lot of the newer music I've been hearing lately. Napoleon Murphy Brock is particularly amazing--there just seems to be no limit to his energy, and I don't think I ever got from the records how truly skilled he is as both a singer and a reed player. But Estrada too was a trip--what fun to hear that wacky falsetto of his live!

There is a tendency with posthumous performances of Zappa's music to err on the "prog rock" side of things--to go for the cleanness of the 80s groups as opposed to the rawer, sloppier sound of the Mothers. That's probably a good thing when it comes to the chamber or orchestral stuff (which was rarely well-performed in Zappa's lifetime), but in a rock or jazz context it's an approach that can be deadly.

The Grande Mothers understand that even though Zappa never embraced rough musics like punk, he knew the value of musical rawness. And though the Redcat show clearly wasn't the sort of carnival experience that it probably would have been if Zappa had been involved, it was pretty damned close--which is good news for shmucks like me who never got to see the real McCoy when he was alive.

ON TO NORWAY
the GMS are on to Norway for 1 week with the Bergen Symphony Orchestra
performing FZ orchestral music
as well as their own 3 1/2 HOUR show
there will also be performances of
RITE OF SPRING - Stravinsky
IONISATION- Varese
THE UNANSWERED QUESTION - Ives
PROJECT X premiere LIVE performance from UNCLE MEAT
transcribed by WHILE YOU WERE ART JARVINEN
among many others

then Canada for 1 week of festivals in July
and
the SARAJEVO JAZZ FESTIVAL

much more info to come stay tuned.........
OR GO TO
WWW.THEGRANDMOTHERS.COM

TELL A FRIEND
OR BETTER YET
FORWARD THIS TO THEM

2006/05/05  

Venue/Location:    REDCAT Theatre, Disney Hall, Los Angeles,
Date(s):    April 14, 2006 - April 14, 2006
Written By:     Josef Woodard
------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s a testament to the strength and lasting influence of Frank Zappa that, while he died in 1992 (at the far too-young age of 52) he left behind such a rich body of work that the Zappa legacy continues onward and upward. On some level, intrigue in the World of Zappa has increased, not only through the lingering nostalgic interests of his global fan base but also through the curiosity of young listeners. Imagine the gift of discovering Zappa’s music, so much more elaborate and sophisticated than any other “rock” music before, during or after him. The thrill increases exponentially when his complex tunes are experienced live.

Oddly enough, it took the band known as the Grande Mothers a few years to make their official debut in Zappa’s hometown of Los Angeles, with a special Zappa-meets-Stravinsky concert at the new experimental music nucleus of the REDCAT theater (downstairs from the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown L.A.). The band is centered around charter members of Zappa’s Mothers of Invention band--keyboardist Don Preston, one-of-a-kind vocalist (and saxophonist/flutist) Napoleon Murphy Brock and bassist Roy Estrada‹and fleshed out by the anchoring force of Christopher Garcia on drums, and spidery-fingered new kid Miroslav Tadic on guitar. He soared this night, on his first gig with the group. (Tadic’s job description, re: the concert program, is playing ‘stunt guitar, snake guitar, loud guitar’).

Brought together for a special show in Germany in 2002, the band recognized the allure of carrying the project forward, touring through Europe and going through the re-learning curve, rehearsing up old Zappa tunes to a dazzling tightness. One strong impression left by the concert was the fact that Zappa’s music actually fares better live than on record, partly because of the deep pockets of theatricality in his writing and also because virtuosity‹of rock, jazz, or whatever ilk‹always makes a better impression in the light of live playing than in the hermetic confines of one’s living room.

Other Zappa-related acts have been surfacing recently, including the “Zappa plays Zappa” project, with Zappa’s sons Dweezil and Ahmet joined by famed stunt guitarist Steve Vai. The Grande Mothers, though, focus on a particular early era in Zappa’s development, with tunes from the late 60s through the mid-70s. From the opening song, ‘Florentine Pogen’, it was clear that the audience was in good hands, in the presence of the classic Zappa magic--crisply played Dadaist progressive rock and roll, with gonzo theatrics in the mix. Also in the set list were ‘Duke of Prunes’‹a love song with a prune metaphor and a satire of minor mode loitering‹and ‘Idiot Bastard’s Son’, its melodic contours cleverly built from the title.

Instrumentals included the nutty march/waltz tune ‘Uncle Meat/T’mershi Dance’ and the careening up-tempo tune ‘Pound for a Brown’. ‘Village of the Sun/Echidna¹s Arf (of you)’, originally from the Live at the Roxy album, typifies the Zappa balancing act: a funky, hooky first section yields to an intense instrumental workout at the end, exhilarating to witness live, and so taut.

A similar effect‹brainy meets beefy‹is also evident in one of Zappa’s greatest hits, ‘Montana’ (moving to Montana soon, gonna be a dental floss tycoon), from one of Zappa’s masterpiece albums, “Overnight Sensation”. Brock‹the charismatic scene-stealer here--delivered the song’s earnest absurdity in its pop-like passages. But after one of Tadic’s slithering ‘snake guitar’ solos, Brock navigated the zigzagging unison melodies in the middle, reminding us yet again that Zappa’s idea of rock is not for the faint-headed or musically simplistic.

This concert’s Stravinsky angle, with an opening performance of the composer’s L’Histoire du Soldat was less felicitous than the Zappa portion of the evening, and verged on sloppiness and pretension. A fine chamber ensemble of L.A. musicians, conducted by CalArts-based Marc Lowenstein, gave a smart, compelling reading of the score, each section of which elicited wild applause from an audience (one imagines that younger audience members here are now officially turned on to Stravinsky‹a notion that would make Zappa grin in his crypt). Dramatically, though, the dubious thespian work of Brock, Estrada and Preston was of wavering quality and seriousness. Brock fared best, which is not surprising considering the inherent dramatic panache of his performing persona.

The idea of showing slides of Stravinsky’s iconic mug during much of the Zappa set was regrettable, symptomatic of the strange misguided desire of Zappa fans to place him in the context of great 20th century ‘concert music’ composers. Although he adored and interacted with such master composers as Varese and Boulez and has had his music played by game, virtuosic classical musicians, Zappa created a place of his own in musical culture, within shouting and spitting distance of rock and roll, quasi-fusion, and the all-American experimentalist spirit.

He invented his own rules and wrote a few lifetimes’ worth of music in his truncated time on the planet. Catch it live, if and when you can.

THE GRANDE MOTHERS IN CANADA: ZAPPA ALUMNI ONCE AGAIN IN CANADA  -  2006 06 12

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED
IN CANADA
the only FZ alumni on the planet consistently performing the music of the maestro
70 plus concerts so far,
and more to come in 2006
ANYTHING ELSE IS NOT AN ORIGINAL......

www.thegrandmothers.com for additional info

2006/07/07 - 8th  - WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL  -  winnipegfolkfestival.ca

2006/07/10th  - HUGHS ROOM THEATRE - Toronto - hughsroom.com

2006/07/12th  - OTTAWA BLUES FESTIVAL  -  ottawa-bluesfest.ca

2006/07/14 - 16th  - VANCOUVER MUSIC FESTIVAL  -  thefestival.bc.ca  

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED
featuring former members of the mothers of invention

After a series of triumphant performances in Los Angeles and Norway, performing the orchestral music of the MAESTRO, the Grande Mothers return to Canada, for a week of concerts

HISTORY:

In 2002,  former members of the Mothers of Invention were asked to  re-unite for a special one time performance to be held in Leipzig, Germany, commemorating the 10th anniversary of Frank Zappa's death.

The evening would consist of classic Frank Zappa material as well as new music written by Don Preston for the band and chamber orchestra. It would also be the first time that three legacies of former Mothers of Invention would reunite and take the stage as a group.

On March 27th, 2003 after 6 months of intensive rehearsals, the same alumni who helped create classics like Freak Out, Absolutely Free, We're Only in it for the Money, Uncle Meat, Burnt Weenie Sandwich, Weasels Ripped My Flesh, Live at the Roxy and Elsewhere, One Size Fits All and FZ:OZ took the stage to a standing room only audience. The event was recorded, filmed, and released by Warner Classics in Europe, and has been broadcast on European television.

Since then the Grande Mothers Re:Invented have been headliners at the 2003 Frankfurt Jazz Festival, the 14th annual ZAPPANALLE FESTIVAL in 2004, and 60 three hour concerts across America, Canada, and Europe including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Germany, Holland, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland.

www.thegrandmothers.com

GRANDE MOTHERS PRINT MEDIA AND WEB MEDIA REVIEWS FOR CANADA JULY 2006

The following reviews are taken from several print media outlets as well as fans reviews posted on the internet.
every set was different, with some favorites carried over.
a different show every night basically

the Grande Mothers Re:Invented
"Anything else is not an original"

They will be at the Sarajevo Jazz Festival in November
more dates to come

CANADIAN PRINT MEDIA REVIEWS

"Rare are the musicians who can even play Zappa's music, let alone make it live and breathe. So Thank the Lord for the Grande Mothers. The people who loved their music last year ranged in age from 16 to 60, and it's safe to say that a fine time was had by all."
Dugg Simpson, Artistic Director for the Vancouver Folk Festival

"These days Roy Estrada, along with Don Preston, and Napoleon Murphy Brock from Zappa's mid to late 70's Mothers, are touring the world as the Grande Mothers and keeping Zappa's music alive. They were here at the Folk Festival last year and due to public demand are returning.
Believe me, if you ever dug Zappa you don't want to miss these guys. They're fun and fuuuuunnnny. They're wicked musicians and they blew a few minds last summer there on Jericho Beach..."
NERVE MAGAZINE

"the quintet known as the Grande Mothers served up vintage psychedelia - rock songs with surreal lyrics, jazz-like harmonies and melodic complexity, with flashes of wacky satire on a par with Monty Python's Flying Circus."
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

"Fans of Frank Zappa are going to freak out for the Grande Mothers. Zappa and his band were creating a mixture of acid rock, psychedelia, doo-wop, avant-garde, tape experiments, funk and jazz. With three different Zappa eras represented, the Grande Mothers have a wide palette of material to choose from."
"BEST DAY CONCERT FRIDAY: THE GRANDE MOTHERS AT THE WINNIPEG FOLK FEST"
Winnipeg Free Press

"So if necessity is the mother of invention, does than mean that the Grande Mothers gave birth to necessity?  Could be true, considering this is a band that needs to be seen........."
WINNIPEG FOLK FEST

CANADIAN FAN REVIEWS

WINNIPEG FOLK FEST
HUGHS ROOM, TORONTO
OTTAWA BLUES FEST
VANCOUVER FOLKS FESTIVAL

I was at the Ottawa show last night. Don, Napoleon and Roy were signing albums for people before the show. The show itself was one of the most incredible things I've witnessed. Unfortunately we didn't get Peaches or Slime (but Montana was played) but what impressed me was how much of WOIIFTM was played. We got Lonely Little Girl (which was greatly extended from the album version), Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? and The Idiot Bastard Son. We also got a lot of material from One Size Fits All, the highlights being excellent versions of Poegen and Sofa. A real highlight was Village of the Sun which was played like on the Roxy album. Napoleon mentioned the Helsinki live show at one point; "If anyone shouts out anymore requests it's gonna cost you 20 marcs!" Roy even did a very brief aria. He started by teasing us with little 10 second bits and saying "That's all you get" before giving in and singing a bit of Baby Snakes. The signing session after the show was great as well. Roy Estrada was especially nice to me. Near the end of the show two young women got up on the stage to dance. I joked around with Napoleon about his reputation as a lady's man, reminding him of about his great line from the Pisspot the rabbit interview, "If you shake your booty, anything is possible." He chuckled and grinned sheepishly. I said thank-you so much for coming to Ottawa and giving such an excellent show and he promised the Grande Mothers would come to Canada again."

"Just got back from the show,suffice to say it was amazing!!!! I enjoyed it more than ZPZ, the vibe was just so much more a zappa show, (despite only having five band members.) The guitar solos were monstrously beautiful, and the drumming was interstellar! Nappy!!!! dear god that was impressive!!!! and Roy, hey, I thought he didn't play bass good since he was a mexican!!! he's better than he was on FZ:OZ even, trust me!!! and Don's solo on Trouble Every Day was unbelievably perfect. PLUS!!! they didn't shy away from the political comments, which, ZPZ playing Trouble Every Day without making it fit the modern time was ridiculous. All in all, it was amazing!!!"

"I too was at this concert, it was INCREDIBLE! Seriously, I thought ZPZ was great and all, but this just blew my mind (I was at a lack of words during the intermission). One thing I really appreciated was that these Mothers really went out there and experimented onstage, in true Zappa fashion.  A personal pick of the evening was their rendition of Twenty Small Cigars, a choice I was not expecting. They played with so much soul, so much love, it was incredible. Napoleon's sax playing during this number was heart wrenching. Beautiful. One of the best non-musical moments of the night was when they talked about Zappa's legacy, and then lead the audience in a round of applause for Frank himself. All in all, a great show. I can't help but wonder when the next Zappa-themed show will come around here. I hope that the Grande Mothers (or as they really should be called, as pointed out by the announcer at the concert, The Mothers of Invention) come back soon, I'd go to another concert without hesitation. I could go on for another 25 pages, I hardly even scratched the surface of all my feelings about the show. But I'll tastefully stop now."

"It definitely was the other side of the coin, and makes me feel like i had a full Zappa experience this summer. I wish someone else would post the setlist, cause I am going to mess up the order.... but they opened with Help I'm a rock, with all members, except the guitarist, contributing familiar vocal noises to the building cacophony until it sequed into, Florentine Pogen???? I think? see I'm going to mess this up. But then they went into Big Swifty, which was chaotic and delightful, the jam I mean. roy immediately started singing I come from nowhere, it devolved into Don's solo rendition of Evelyn a Modified dog, then boosted up into some Call Any Vegetable teases, then back into the theme. I believe during this medley was where they played Black Napkins. I know it's a forbidden song, but the guitarist nailed it, his solo was amazing and georgeous, judging from the smiles on the audiences faces during this number, how could playing it be bad? This band is awesome.

Their guitarists solos were sooo great, short, but technically awe inspiring, and INTERESTING!!! which sadly, dweez's solos are not. They then played Twenty Small Cigars, (nappy "when I think about Bill Clinton, I start to really like that title!" hahhah) which was a highlight. Nappy was playing the theme, and then going off and out into his magic solo land. not enough solo nappy time either, actually, noone got enough time, the concert was too short dagnammit! once the live Zappa starts flowing I'm insatiable! I need more!

Roy's bass playing was uberstellar as well, he's more amazing than any live documents from  Frank's bands proves, which I suppose means he's improved over the years. Talking to Don before the show, (wow, uncle meat!!!! eating pie at the table next to me!) he was saying how once Roy got on board with the Grande Mothers, that's when it all clicked, that his bass playing, taught specifically by zappa, (he used the example how instead of getting the bass to play the tonic, he'd write a major seventh) brought the band together. other song's played were Oh no, into Trouble everyday, which don sang, and made about bush. yes, they didn't shy away from making trouble ABOUT something. Don's solo in trouble was amazing. sadly there was so little soloing from him, this was his only monster of the night. they played Echidnas, which admittedly was not as good as ZPZ's version, but they did play the beginning of Don't you Ever wash that thing, which I REALLY appreciated. now here are some things I never would have expected. they played Debra Kedabra!!! a total favorite of mine! I couldn't believe it! with the drummer doing his best don van. I couldn't contain myself!!!! and into Carolina hard core ecstacy! OW!!! oh ya, somewhere in there let's make the water turn black, Idiot Bastard son (napoleon's voice on this just took the cake, took the mothafuckin cake! ) and Harry You're a beast!! there was also a slow doowoppy song, but I forget which one.(The Air)
Watermelon was also played right near the end, brilliantly. and the show ended with a final encore of mother people, how fitting!!!! I know I'm missing stuff, but I'll come back and try to piece it together better, any help people!!!!!!! Great show, go see em!!! it's worth it!"

"Now for some of my favourite numbers played that night. The first mind-blower of the evening was Big Swifty. They played the opening effortlessly before delving into unknown territories. Roy singing I Come From Nowhere, a hilarious midsong version of Evelyn, A Modified Dog... it was nuts! A personal pick of the evening was their rendition of Twenty Small Cigars, a choice I was not expecting. They played with so much soul, so much love, it was incredible. Napolean's sax playing during this number was heartwrenching. Beautiful. One of the best non-musical moments of the night was when they talked about Zappa's legacy, and then lead the audience in a round of applause for Frank himself. They played Debra Kadabra, which was an obscure choice. Chris Garcia handled the vox, and did a fantastic job of a song that is very hard to do well (The Captain is very hard to imitate). Very rocking performance. I'd say my favourite performance of the night was Trouble Every Day, sung by Don, adding in current political commentary. Roy and Nappy added in many asides which made me laugh out loud. The song was played with unbridled fury, which left me completely amazed."

GRANDE MOTHERS PHOTOS FROM THE VANCOUVER FOLK FESTIVAL 2006

 

The following pictures were taken Gary Taylor

drummer/percussionist from the Toronto based band

SISTERS EUCLID

with

  • Kevin Breit - electric guitar

  • Ian deSouza - bass

  • Gary Taylor - drums/percussion

  • Rob Gusevs - Hammond B3
    and special guest

  • Cyro Baptista - percussion

they also shared the stage with the Grande Mothers for an impromptu jam in Vancouver

PLUS

there are some upcoming shows in November/December on the west coast of America

stay tuned days/dates and time

we know you'll be surprised ..................

 
Napoleon Murphy Brock
Ken Rosser Don Preston
Chris Garcia and Roy Estrada

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RETURN TO EASTERN EUROPE 
2006 10 20

the only ZAPPA alumni consistently performing the music of the maestro
since 2002
80 concerts plus so far
anything else is not an original

www.thegrandmothers.com for more, more, more..................

SARAJEVO
2006/11/05 - 22:00 h
Main Stage Bosanski kulturni centar
http://www.jazzfest.ba/ - sarajevo jazz festival 2006 

BEOGRAD
2006/11/07 - 21:00 h
SKC Velika Sala  
http://www.topproduction.com

ZAGREB
2006/11/09 - 21:00 h
Pere.Strojka, club Aquarius
http://www.topproduction.com

The band plays Zappa's music from 1965 to 1975, with spirit, humor and precision, which this music requires. The show is based on contradictions of eclecticism, seriousness, and circus performance, staying truthful to the phenomenon of Frank Zappa. 

AND THE WEST COAST 2006

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
House of Blues Anaheim
Anaheim, CA 92802
show time: 8:00 PM

The Grande Mothers -
Original and Former Members of "The Mothers of Invention"
Performing the Music of Frank Zappa

Thursday, November 30, 2006
House of Blues Sunset Strip
West Hollywood, CA 90069
show time: 9:00 PM

The Grande Mothers -
Original and Former Members of "The Mothers of Invention"
Performing the Music of Frank Zappa

CANADIAN PRINT MEDIA REVIEWS AND FAN REVIEWS FROM THEIR SUMMER CANADIAN FESTIVAL TOUR 2006

"Rare are the musicians who can even play Zappa's music, let alone make it live and breathe. So Thank the Lord for the Grande Mothers. The people who loved their music last year ranged in age from 16 to 60, and it's safe to say that a fine time was had by all."
Dugg Simpson, Artistic Director for the Vancouver Folk Festival

"These days Roy Estrada, along with Don Preston, and Napoleon Murphy Brock from Zappa's mid to late 70's Mothers, are touring the world as the Grande Mothers and keeping Zappa's music alive. They were here at the Folk Festival last year and due to public demand are returning. Believe me, if you ever dug Zappa you don't want to miss these guys. They're fun and fuuuuunnnny. They're wicked musicians and they blew a few minds last summer there on Jericho Beach..."
NERVE MAGAZINE

"the quintet known as the Grande Mothers served up vintage psychedelia - rock songs with surreal lyrics, jazz-like harmonies and melodic complexity, with flashes of wacky satire on a par with Monty Python's Flying Circus."
THE GLOBE AND MAIL

"Fans of Frank Zappa are going to freak out for the Grande Mothers. Zappa and his band were creating a mixture of acid rock, psychedelia, doo-wop, avant-garde, tape experiments, funk and jazz. With three different Zappa eras represented, the Grande Mothers have a wide palette of material to choose from."
"BEST DAY CONCERT FRIDAY: THE GRANDE MOTHERS AT THE WINNIPEG FOLK FEST"
Winnipeg Free Press

"So if necessity is the mother of invention, does than mean that the Grande Mothers gave birth to necessity?  Could be true, considering this is a band that needs to be seen........."
WINNIPEG FOLK FEST

 

CANADIAN FAN REVIEWS

TORONTO

"Just got back from the show,suffice to say it was amazing!!!! I enjoyed it more than ZPZ, the vibe was just so much more a zappa show, (despite only having five band members.) The guitar solos were monstrously beautiful, and the drumming was interstellar! Nappy!!!! dear god that was impressive!!!! and Roy, hey, I thought he didn't play bass good since he was a mexican!!! he's better than he was on OZ even, trust me!!! and Don's solo on Trouble Every Day was unbelievably perfect. PLUS!!! they didn't shy away from the political comments, which, ZPZ playing Trouble Every Day without making it fit the modern time was ridiculous. All in all, it was amazing!!!"

"I too was at this concert, it was INCREDIBLE! Seriously, I thought ZPZ was great and all, but this just blew my mind (I was at a lack of words during the intermission). One thing I really appreciated was that these Mothers really went out there and experimented onstage, in true Zappa fashion.  A personal pick of the evening was their rendition of Twenty Small Cigars, a choice I was not expecting. They played with so much soul, so much love, it was incredible. Napoleon's sax playing during this number was heart wrenching. Beautiful. One of the best non-musical moments of the night was when they talked about Zappa's legacy, and then lead the audience in a round of applause for Frank himself. All in all, a great show. I can't help but wonder when the next Zappa-themed show will come around here. I hope that the Grande Mothers (or as they really should be called, as pointed out by the announcer at the concert, The Mothers of Invention) come back soon, I'd go to another concert without hesitation. I could go on for another 25 pages, I hardly even scratched the surface of all my feelings about the show. But I'll tastefully stop now."

OTTWA BLUES FEST

"I was at the Ottawa show last night. Don, Napoleon and Roy were signing albums for people before the show. The show itself was one of the most incredible things I've witnessed. Unfortunately we didn't get Peaches or Slime (but Montanna was played) but what impressed me was how much of WOIIFTM was played. We got Lonely Little Girl (which was greatly extended from the album version), Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? and The Idiot Bastard Son. We also got a lot of material from One Size Fits All, the highlights being excellent versions of Poegen and Sofa. A real highlight was Village of the Sun which was played like on the Roxy album. Napoleon mentioned the Helsinki live show at one point; "If anyone shouts out anymore requests it's gonna cost you 20 marcs!" Roy even did a very brief aria. He started by teasing us with little 10 second bits and saying "That's all you get" before giving in and singing a bit of Baby Snakes. The signing session after the show was great as well. Roy Estrada was especially nice to me. Near the end of the show two young women got up on the stage to dance. I joked around with Napoleon about his reputation as a lady's man, reminding him of about his great line from the Pisspot the rabbit interview, "If you shake your booty, anything is possible." He chuckled and grinned sheepishly. I said thank-you so much for coming to Ottawa and giving such an excellent show and he promised the Grande Mothers would come to Canada again."

 

THAT'S ALL(FOR NOW) FOLKS

GRANDE MOTHERS ROAD STORY FROM ZAGREB IN 2003

ROAD STORY

in 2003 the GRANDE MOTHERS HIT THE ROAD HARD IN EUROPE
IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THESE GUYS HAD HIT THE ROAD TOGETHER SINCE 1976(!)

ONE OF THEIR MOST MEMORABLE STOPS WAS IN ZAGREB, CROATIA
the tour bus driver was told that they had arrived at the wrong border crossing(?) and they were diverted to another border crossing a few hours away making them late for the gig.

they arrived at 8 PM, instead of 4 pm, only to find that they could not get within 100 feet of the club due to the street full of double parked cars. the bus driver made a call and said that he would need the club to get their crew and empty the tour bus because he could not get any closer.
to the Grande Mothers surprise the entire club emptied out; people who had been there since 2 PM and physically moved 100 feet of cars
 they actually picked them up and moved them off the road
waved the tour bus thru
put the cars back
and then they all filed back into the club

once soundcheck was done the Grande Old Men were surprised to hear every word of every tune sung in perfect English
it seems that ZAPPA music used to be purchased on the black market on inferior vinyl
i.e., it would only play a few times

the folks that spoke the best english would gather around with notepads at huge listening parties
and write the lyrics down, 
comparing notes with the other folks with notepads to make sure they were right
and that is how they were able to sing every word in English

a young fan came up and talked to the guys after the show 
stammering and crying
when asked, "how old are you?", 
he replied "19"

19!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

how do you know this music?

he responded, "My father"
and where is he??
he pointed to a group of people in the club
and said, "that is my father, my mother, my uncle, my brother and my cousin"

and this was the audience for this music
played by these guys
transcending borders, cultures, and generations

there were tears and cheers
after the 3 hours, 4 encore performance
and the Grande Mothers Re:Invented hit the road 
on to the next gig

as one fan wrote:
"It was just beautiful to be able to hear this music (from the front row, no less) played in the spirit in which it was originally conceived, by some of the guys who were originally involved. And though it wasn't a flawless performance, it had more balls and verve and energy (especially given that these guys are approaching geezerhood) than a lot of the newer music I've been hearing lately."

this is their first return trip back to Zagreb, Croatia

stay tuned ................

THAT'S ALL(FOR NOW) FOLKS

- 2006 11 28 -
THE GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED:ZAPPA ALUMNI AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES 11/30/06

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RETURN FROM THEIR TRIUMPHANT GIGS IN EASTERN EUROPE TO PERFORM AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES IN HOLLYWOOD 
SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS

2006/11/30 The Grande Mothers - concert 'the house of blues', hollywood, ca, usa

The Grande Mothers Re:Invented

Original and Former Members of "The Mothers of Invention"

Performing the Music of Frank Zappa

House of Blues(r) Sunset Strip
8430 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
show time: 9:00 PM
t :: 323.848.5100
f :: 323.650.0237

the only ZAPPA alumni consistently performing the music of the maestro, since 2002
75 concerts plus so far
anything else is not an original
www.thegrandmothers.com for more, more, more............
see attached

THE GRANDE MOTHERS:RE:INVENTED

http://HOB.COM/apps/search/index.asp?q=GRANDE+MOTHERS&x=23&y=10

OR GO TO

hob.com and type in grande mothers under search

 CANADIAN PRINT MEDIA REVIEWS AND FAN REVIEWS FROM THEIR SUMMER CANADIAN FESTIVAL TOUR 2006

"Rare are the musicians who can even play Zappa's music, let alone make it live and breathe. So Thank the Lord for the Grande Mothers. The people who loved their music last year ranged in age from 16 to 60, and it's safe to say that a fine time was had by all."

Dugg Simpson, Artistic Director for the Vancouver Folk Festival

"These days Roy Estrada, along with Don Preston, and Napoleon Murphy Brock from Zappa's mid to late 70's Mothers, are touring the world as the Grande Mothers and keeping Zappa's music alive. They were here at the Folk Festival last year and due to public demand are returning. Believe me, if you ever dug Zappa you don't want to miss these guys. They're fun and fuuuuunnnny. They're wicked musicians and they blew a few minds last summer there on Jericho Beach..."

NERVE MAGAZINE

"the quintet known as the Grande Mothers served up vintage psychedelia - rock songs with surreal lyrics, jazz-like harmonies and melodic complexity, with flashes of wacky satire on a par with Monty Python's Flying Circus."

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

"Fans of Frank Zappa are going to freak out for the Grande Mothers. Zappa and his band were creating a mixture of acid rock, psychedelia, doo-wop, avant-garde, tape experiments, funk and jazz. With three different Zappa eras represented, the Grande Mothers have a wide palette of material to choose from."

"BEST DAY CONCERT FRIDAY: THE GRANDE MOTHERS AT THE WINNIPEG FOLK FEST"

Winnipeg Free Press

"So if necessity is the mother of invention, does than mean that the Grande Mothers gave birth to necessity?  Could be true, considering this is a band that needs to be seen........."

WINNIPEG FOLK FEST

CANADIAN FAN REVIEWS, SUMMER 2006

TORONTO

"Just got back from the show,suffice to say it was amazing!!!! I enjoyed it more than ZPZ, the vibe was just so much more a zappa show, (despite only having five band members.) The guitar solos were monstrously beautiful, and the drumming was interstellar! Nappy!!!! dear god that was impressive!!!! and Roy, hey, I thought he didn't play bass good since he was a mexican!!! he's better than he was on OZ even, trust me!!! and Don's solo on Trouble Every Day was unbelievably perfect. PLUS!!! they didn't shy away from the political comments, which, ZPZ playing Trouble Every Day without making it fit the modern time was ridiculous. All in all, it was amazing!!!"

"I too was at this concert, it was INCREDIBLE! Seriously, I thought ZPZ was great and all, but this just blew my mind (I was at a lack of words during the intermission). One thing I really appreciated was that these Mothers really went out there and experimented onstage, in true Zappa fashion.  A personal pick of the evening was their rendition of Twenty Small Cigars, a choice I was not expecting. They played with so much soul, so much love, it was incredible. Napoleon's sax playing during this number was heart wrenching. Beautiful. One of the best non-musical moments of the night was when they talked about Zappa's legacy, and then lead the audience in a round of applause for Frank himself. All in all, a great show. I can't help but wonder when the next Zappa-themed show will come around here. I hope that the Grande Mothers (or as they really should be called, as pointed out by the announcer at the concert, The Mothers of Invention) come back soon, I'd go to another concert without hesitation. I could go on for another 25 pages, I hardly even scratched the surface of all my feelings about the show. But I'll tastefully stop now."

 

OTTWA BLUES FEST

"I was at the Ottawa show last night. Don, Napoleon and Roy were signing albums for people before the show. The show itself was one of the most incredible things I've witnessed. Unfortunately we didn't get Peaches or Slime (but Montanna was played) but what impressed me was how much of WOIIFTM was played. We got Lonely Little Girl (which was greatly extended from the album version), Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, What's the Ugliest Part of Your Body? and The Idiot Bastard Son. We also got a lot of material from One Size Fits All, the highlights being excellent versions of Poegen and Sofa. A real highlight was Village of the Sun which was played like on the Roxy album. Napoleon mentioned the Helsinki live show at one point; "If anyone shouts out anymore requests it's gonna cost you 20 marcs!" Roy even did a very brief aria. He started by teasing us with little 10 second bits and saying "That's all you're gonna get" before giving in and singing a bit of Baby Snakes. The signing session after the show was great as well. Roy Estrada was especially nice to me. Near the end of the show two young women got up on the stage to dance. I joked around with Napoleon about his reputation as a lady's man, reminding him of about his great line from the Pisspot the rabbit interview, "If you shake your booty, anything is possible." He chuckled and grinned sheepishly. I said thank-you so much for coming to Ottawa and giving such an excellent show and he promised the Grande Mothers would come to Canada again."

2007 11 15
GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED IN LOS ANGELES-FEB 2008/ENGLAND-MARCH 2008 and CANADA-JULY 2008

 

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED 
www.thegrandmothers.com for additional info

the only FZ alumni on the planet consistently performing the music of the maestro
80 plus concerts so far, 
ANYTHING ELSE IS (still)NOT AN ORIGINAL......

THE GRANDE MOTHERS RE:INVENTED 
featuring former members of the mothers of invention

IN LOS ANGELES FEB 200